Their Eyes were Watching God Quotes
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Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the same horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.
Context
You're looking at the opening lines of Their Eyes Were Watching God. The reader doesn't know what they mean yet, but they're doing two things: (1) setting up a central distinction between men and women and (2) introducing the importance of dreams and the agency that an individual has in making these dreams a reality.
Thematic foreshadowing much?
Where you've heard it
People drop this one when they talk about dreams of travel, of getting out, of Freedom-with-a-capital-F.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
What sort of ridiculously specific situation are you in that would make this quote necessary—if at all applicable? Next time you're at a party, try sticking to sports or the weather.